Bidens plant named &#39;SUNBIDEVB 1&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Bidens  plant named ‘Sunbidevb 1’, characterized by its upright to outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; moderate vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; year-round flowering habit; inflorescences with bright yellow-colored ray florets which become lighter yellow towards the apex under high temperatures conditions; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Bidens ferulifolia.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNBIDEVB 1’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Bidens plant, botanically known as Bidens ferulifolia and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunbidevb 1’.

The new Bidens plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Fukaya, Saitama, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and mounding Bidens plants with year-round flowering habit and numerous attractive inflorescences.

The new Bidens plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Fukaya, Saitama, Japan during the spring of 2010 of two unnamed proprietary selections of Bidens ferulifolia, not patented. The new Bidens plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Fukaya, Saitama, Japan during the autumn of 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Bidens plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Fukaya, Saitama, Japan since the spring of 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Bidens plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Bidens have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunbidevb 1’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunbidevb 1’ as a new and distinct Bidens plant:

-   -   1. Upright to outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Moderate vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Year-round flowering habit.     -   6. Inflorescences with bright yellow-colored ray florets which         become lighter yellow towards the apex under high temperatures         conditions.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Bidens differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Bidens have serrated margins         whereas leaves of plants of the female parent selection have         entire margins.     -   2. Plants of the new Bidens are freely flowering year-round         whereas plants of the female parent selection are not freely         flowering under low temperature conditions.

Plants of the new Bidens differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Bidens have serrated margins         whereas leaves of plants of the male parent selection have         entire margins.     -   2. Plants of the new Bidens are freely flowering year-round         whereas plants of the male parent selection are not freely         flowering under high temperature and long photoperiods/short         nyctoperiod conditions.

Plants of the new Bidens can be compared to plants of Bidens ferulifolia ‘Danyel9’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,968. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Bidens differ primarily from plants of ‘Danyel9’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Bidens are broader than and not as upright         as plants of ‘Danyel9’.     -   2. Plants of the new Bidens have smaller leaves than plants of         ‘Danyel9’.     -   3 Leaves of plants of the new Bidens have serrated margins         whereas leaves of plants of ‘Danyel9’ have entire margins.     -   4. Plants of the new Bidens flower earlier than plants of         ‘Danyel9’,     -   5. Plants of the new Bidens are freely flowering year-round         whereas plants of ‘Danyel9’ are not freely flowering during the         summer.     -   6. Plants of the new Bidens have smaller inflorescences than         plants of ‘Danyel9’.     -   7 Plants of the new Bidens do not produce seeds whereas plants         of ‘Danyel9’ produce seeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Bidens plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Bidens plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunbidevb 1’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunbidevb 1’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 18-cm containers during the summer in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Bidens production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 20° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 20° C. Plants were three months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Bidens ferulifolia ‘Sunbidevb 1’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of Bidens             ferulifolia, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of Bidens             ferulifolia, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About seven days at             temperatures ranging from 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About ten days at             temperatures ranging from 12° C. to 15° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About ten days             at temperatures ranging from 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About two             weeks at temperatures ranging from 12° C. to 15° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; typically white in color, actual             color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition,             water quality, fertilizers, substrate temperature and             physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright to outwardly spreading and             mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with numerous             primary and secondary lateral branches potentially forming             at every node.         -   Plant height.—About 28 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 62 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 19 cm. Diameter: About             1.1 mm. Internode length: About 2.2 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144B and tinged with             close to N199A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 2.1 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.7 cm.         -   Shape.—Roughly deltoid; pinnatisect.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Sparsely pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 137C; venation, close to 137D. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138C; venation,             close to 138C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 5.1 mm. Diameter: About 0.8 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 137D. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Single (daisy) inflorescence form with ray and             disc florets forming acropetally on a receptacle;             inflorescences positioned above and beyond the foliar plane             on strong peduncles; inflorescences face mostly upright.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit with about 180             inflorescences developing per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower year-round in Japan;             early flowering habit, plants begin flowering about four             weeks after planting rooted young plants.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Individual inflorescences last             about seven to ten days on the plant; inflorescences not             persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 8.4 mm. Diameter: About             4.3 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 6A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.2 cm. Depth (height):             About 7.5 mm. Disc diameter: About 7 mm.         -   Receptacles.—Diameter: About 5.5 mm. Height: About 0.9 mm.             Color: Close to 145B.         -   Ray florets.—Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About             six to eight arranged in a single whorl. Length: About             1.9 cm. Width: About 8.8 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Rounded             and shallowly emarginate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire.             Aspect: Horizontal to recurved. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Close to 9A. When opening, lower surface: Close to             9B. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 12A to 12B; color             does not change with development; distally, under high             temperatures conditions, color becomes closer to between 9D             and 11D. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 12A with             stripes, close to N200A; under high temperatures conditions,             color becomes closer to 9B.         -   Disc florets.—Number of disc florets per inflorescence:             About 50. Shape: Tubular, elongated; apex, five-pointed.             Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Texture, inner             and outer surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, when opening,             inner and outer surfaces: Close to 13A. Color, fully opened,             inner and outer surfaces: Close to 22A.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About ten in a             single whorl. Length: About 3.5 mm. Width: About 0.9 mm.             Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate, fused.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 137C.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 4.2 cm.             Diameter: About 0.9 mm. Strength: Strong; flexible. Aspect:             Upright to outwardly, inflorescences held above and beyond             the foliar plane. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             144B tinged with close to N199A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Quantity per disc floret: Five. Filament length: About             1.5 mm. Filament color: Close to 145C. Anther shape:             Ellipsoidal. Anther length: About 1.3 mm. Anther color:             Close to 165A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close             to 14A. Gynoecium: Present on ray and disc florets. Pistil             length: About 5.1 mm. Style length: About 3.7 mm. Style             color: Close to 8C. Stigma shape: Bifurcate; apex curled             outwardly. Stigma color: Close to 21A. Ovary color: Close to             16D.         -   Seeds.—Seed development has not been observed on plants of             the new Bidens. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Bidens have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Bidens     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Clematis have exhibited good     garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and temperatures     ranging from 5° C. to 35° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Bidens plant named ‘Sunbidevb 1’ as illustrated and described. 